Entwined Hearts
by Amaranth Traces
Summary: SamDaniel 'ship. Although the Tok'ra have recruited Sam and Daniel to decipher an Ancient device, it seems that there might be an ulterior motive. Final entry to trilogy that started with Tortured Soul and Kindred Spirits.
1. Chapter 1

**Entwined Hearts **

_Genre:_ Romance  
_Pairings:_ Sam/Daniel  
_Spoilers:_ Everything up to the end of Exodus, plus Meridian and Fallout  
_Season:_ Four, after Exodus**  
**_Rating:_ T for sexual situations  
_Disclaimer: _The only thing I own that's related to Stargate is my DVD collection. I'm not making any money off of Stargate. In fact, the reverse is true.

_Summary:_ Although the Tok'ra have recruited Sam and Daniel to decipher an Ancient device, it seems that there might be an ulterior motive.

_Notes:_ This story is the final entry of a trilogy, and as such it **does not stand alone**. I strongly recommend that you read the first two stories, _Tortured Soul_ and _Kindred Spirits_ before reading this one. Also, in keeping with the style of the trilogy, odd-numbered chapters are from Sam's POV and even ones are from Daniel's.

Immense thanks to my beta extraordinaire, Thraesja, for the brilliant job she did on this story. I'd also like to thank everyone who left such fantastic reviews on _Kindred Spirits_, for it was that feedback that kept my muse on track to write _Entwined Hearts_. Thank you!

**-- Chapter 1 -- **

I couldn't remember ever feeling so at peace. The Colonel snored from where he was sprawled in a nearby chair. On the other end of the sofa, Teal'c quietly watched the movie he had chosen for the night. I sat curled up against Daniel's side, his arm draped over my shoulders.

I gave his waist a little squeeze and nuzzled into him, enjoying the warmth of his embrace and the solid line of his bicep behind my neck. My fingers worked their way between the buttons of his shirt and caressed his stomach. I loved being able to do that.

Daniel's hand slid from my shoulder to nestle in the curve of my hip, and I felt him press an affectionate kiss to the top of my head. When I looked up, he was smiling down at me. His glasses reflected the flickering light from the Colonel's television, though neither of us was watching it.

He leaned down, and I closed my eyes as our lips met. My body practically hummed at the contact. Daniel's kisses always sent my senses into overdrive. His mouth was warm and soft and welcoming. I felt his lips smile against mine as my tongue took advantage of his invitation.

"Get another room for that kind of thing," the Colonel's hushed voice said, and the scene abruptly dissolved around me. I jolted awake and looked around.

I was in my cot in one of the Tok'ra chambers. Sitting up, I saw Colonel O'Neill standing in the doorway, gesturing to a couple of Tok'ra carrying a large container to continue down the corridor.

"Jack?" Daniel also sat up in his cot on the other side of the chamber. His face was all scrunched up as he peered at the Colonel through squinting eyes.

I had to smile.

The Colonel turned around. "Ah, crap. Sorry guys." He pointed a finger at the Tok'ra disappearing down the hall. "Now you've done, it. You woke them up!" With a sigh, he turned back to us. "Have I mentioned how much I hate helping people move?"

"Once or twice. An hour." Daniel reached for his glasses as he grumbled away. "For the past, oh, two weeks or so."

We'd been on the as-yet-unnamed new Tok'ra base for four days now. But in that time, Daniel and I hadn't had a single moment alone. I was starting to think I'd never get a chance to talk to him about my newly discovered feelings.

I climbed out of my cot and stretched, my eyes fixed on the subject of my thoughts. His hair was sticking up in all directions, and I watched as he ran his fingers through it, trying to smooth it down.

"They found that doohickey Jacob was talking about, Carter."

Turning, I found Colonel O'Neill staring at me. I cleared my throat and tried to look like I'd been paying attention. "Good. That's good."

He pursed his lips at me, the way he often did when he was trying not to smile. "So, you and Daniel should be able to start working on it."

"Yes, though we'll probably have to catch up on the Tok'ra's earlier results first."

A grunt of frustration made me look over at Daniel again. He seemed to be having a hard time getting one of his boots to cooperate with his efforts of putting it on his foot. I made a mental note to contact Earth and ask General Hammond to send some coffee through the gate.

When I turned back to Colonel O'Neill, he was still staring at me. Only now he had one arm crossed over his chest and his other hand cupping his chin. His eyebrows were raised, and he definitely seemed to be amused about something. Probably caffeine-free-Daniel's antics.

"Sounds pretty boring," he said.

I blinked. What sounded boring? Oh. "Actually, sir, I think the device will prove to be quite a challenging puzzle."

"I meant for me."

"Ah." Of course. What had I been thinking?

"Now that our ship's unpacked, Teal'c and I don't have much to do. I was thinking we might gate home and leave you two alone to fiddle with the thingamajig."

"What about the ship?"

"We'll leave it in orbit and come back in a few days. If you two have managed to get everything you need to do done by then..." Colonel O'Neill's eyes wandered from me to Daniel and back again. "Then we'll fly her home. I'm assuming I can rely on you two to stay out of trouble for once?"

Daniel approached us, his glasses pushed up as he rubbed his eye. "I think we can handle a couple of days on our own in a base surrounded by allies, Jack." His elbow bumped into the wall, and he grunted his annoyance at poking himself in the eye.

"Yes, I can tell."

I placed a steadying hand on Daniel's back, and he gave me a sleepy smile that made my heart melt.

The Colonel chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Well," he said, waving a finger back and forth between us. "You two have a lot to figure out, don't you?"

Daniel nodded. "Yeah, from the quick look I had on the ship a couple of weeks ago, it looks like the device is covered in Ancient text."

"Right." Colonel O'Neill drew out the word slowly. "The device."

I studied him. He was acting even stranger than usual. Perhaps he had spent too much time cooped up on the Ha'tak or in the Tok'ra tunnels. Or maybe it was a lack of hockey. It was probably a good thing he was headed home.

An hour later, Daniel and I waved to the Colonel and Teal'c as they stepped through the event horizon. Dad and Jalen, another Tok'ra, had accompanied us to the stargate.

"On behalf of the Tok'ra High Council, I wish to offer my deepest gratitude to the Tau'ri for your assistance in defeating Apophis and relocating our base of operations," Jalen said into my radio.

"We are happy to help you," came General Hammond's voice. "I'm sure it's just the beginning of the revitalisation of our alliance."

Jalen nodded. "Indeed, and if you require our services in maintaining the systems on your Ha'tak, I assure you, we will be available."

"Thank you," said Hammond after a brief hesitation. "We'll keep that in mind."

Jalen handed back my radio, and I squeezed the talk button. "It's Major Carter, sir. They've found the Ancient device that they want our help with, but Daniel and I could use some materials from the base."

"Go ahead, Major."

I quickly gave a list of the reference books and equipment that we would probably need to figure out the device.

"We're loading up a FRED now," said the General. "We're also including some basic supplies."

"Thank you, sir." I looked up as Daniel nudged my shoulder.

Silently, he mouthed the word 'coffee'.

I smiled and squeezed the talk button on my radio again. "And if you could add some coffee and a portable percolator to that list, we'd really appreciate it, General."

Surprisingly, it was Colonel O'Neill who answered. "I suppose you want the stuff you keep in Carter's filing cabinet, right Daniel?"

Daniel's eyes widened. "How did he—?"

"I know everything, Danny-boy," the Colonel answered, even though Daniel hadn't asked the question into the radio. "It's about time you realised that."

"We'll send the supplies through in a few moments, Major," said General Hammond.

The outgoing wormhole disengaged, and Jalen appeared quite perturbed. "Does Colonel O'Neill possess the ability to read the minds of others?"

Dad grinned at her. "He likes to think he does."

"That was disturbing," said Daniel.

"Why would he attempt to convince you that he is all-knowing?" Jalen asked.

Daniel tried unsuccessfully to explain the unique psychology of our dear Colonel Jack O'Neill, with Dad and I occasionally throwing in our own admittedly biased opinions. The discussion was so engrossing that the stargate's chevrons began to light up before we had exhausted the subject. The incoming wormhole whooshed to life, and the FRED trundled through the event horizon.

Daniel poked around it, eventually pulling out his canister of ground coffee. He opened the lid and sniffed it warily. "What do you think he did to it this time?"

I took the controls and manoeuvred the FRED down the steps from the stargate. The four of us headed back to the Tok'ra tunnels.

When we arrived, Daniel gestured at me with his coffee canister. "I'm going to brew some of this up."

Dad nodded. "I think I know where our previous research on the device is. Sam and I will find it and bring it back so you two can really get started working on it."

I followed Dad through the newly grown Tok'ra tunnels and into a chamber filled with a number of crates. We began opening them, searching for the computer data crystal.

"So, George and I got to talking a bit before we left Earth," said Dad.

"Uh huh." Impatiently, I brushed my hair back. It was getting far too long in the front and kept getting in my eyes.

"I wanted to know what he knew about what was going on between you and Daniel."

"Dad!" I scolded, slamming the lid of the crate I'd been searching down. "Tell me you didn't talk to General Hammond about this."

"What?" He gave me a wide-eyed shrug. "He's my friend, isn't he? And he sees you more often than I do."

I clenched my fists at my sides, barely resisting the urge to strangle my father. I glared at him. "When did you become such a meddler?"

He grinned. "I've always been a meddler, kiddo."

With a frustrated groan, I rolled my eyes. That was true enough. It wasn't until he learned what I really did for a living that he stopped trying to get me into NASA.

At least being off-world meant I didn't have to deal with Janet's matchmaking plots as well as Dad's. I didn't even want to think of the crazy schemes those two could come up with if they ever joined forces.

I opened another crate and tried to concentrate on finding the data crystal.

Dad moved on to his next crate. "Aren't you curious as to what he thought about it?"

"No!" The research wasn't in this one either. I slammed it shut and looked over at him. His face was concealed by the lid of the crate he was looking in.

I narrowed my eyes. "Why? What did he say?" Stupid curiosity.

Dad looked up, smiling. "You have nothing to worry about." He waved a crystal at me. "Found it."

We brought the crystal to the chamber where Daniel was working, and for the next hour, Daniel and I went through the research notes it contained. Several Tok'ra milled about the room, unpacking various items and putting things away.

Dad really hadn't been kidding when he'd said that the Tok'ra had failed to get it to do much. They'd barely even started translating the Ancient text. Clearly, the device wasn't one of their priorities. It didn't take long for us to move from their notes to working directly on the device.

It was about the size and shape of an electric piano, though it looked more like a jukebox. Well, minus the neon lights and Elvis posters. Its greyish metal sides were engraved with line after line of Ancient text. The clear domed top was surrounded by coloured crystal buttons.

Over the next several hours, we made absolutely no headway, even fuelled by a perfect pot of Daniel's special blend of coffee. I couldn't figure out why the device didn't seem to be getting any power. Daniel was sitting on the floor near me, inching through his translation in his notebook. However, judging from the depth of the crease in his forehead, I had a feeling he was getting as frustrated as I was.

I groaned. "You know, it's possible that we've died and this is hell." My forehead thumped down on the device's main console before me.

"Nuh-uh," said Daniel. "Been there, remember? It's nothing like this."

Despite myself, I chuckled. I lifted my head and sent him a mock glare. "Don't make me laugh when I'm trying to be grumpy."

Daniel grinned. "My mistake. Don't know what I was thinking."

With a sigh, I turned back to the device. Maybe if I tried rerouting the power conduits, I could get it to do something.

I pushed aside my stool, plopped down on the floor, and opened the back panel. Leaning forward, I reached inside and uncoupled several cables. My hair fell into my face, and I blew at it to get it out of my eyes. It fell back into the same spot. I tried tossing my head to get rid of it, but the lock of hair was being inordinately stubborn.

"Daniel?"

"Hmm?"

"You have a free hand?"

He dropped his pen into the crease of his notebook and looked up. "What do you need?"

"Can you just—" I blew impatiently at my too-long bangs. "Get this out of my face?"

He smiled, shifting himself closer. "Sure."

I turned my face toward him as he raised his hand. Very gently, Daniel brushed my hair out of my eyes, his fingers trailing across my forehead. The tenderness in his eyes made my breath hitch in my throat.

His thumb grazed my cheek as he lowered his hand. "Better?"

I nodded slowly. "Thanks."

One corner of his mouth tugged up slightly. "My pleasure."

Behind him, I could see the only Tok'ra remaining in the room take her leave. We were finally alone and definitely in a situation that lent itself to the conversation I'd been waiting to have. Forgetting about the power couplings for a moment, I took a deep breath.

"Hey guys, how's it going?" said a voice from the hallway.

I swear that man has the worst timing in the galaxy. "Uh, hi Dad."

"Daniel, can I talk to you a minute?"

I glared at my father. "We're on the verge of something here." I gave him the most pointed look I could muster.

He just grinned innocently at me. "It'll just take a minute."

I sighed as Daniel stood up and followed him out of the room. What was he up to now?

**To be continued...  
Please read and review. **


	2. Chapter 2

**-- Chapter 2 -- **

I followed Jacob through the maze of Tok'ra tunnels, feeling more than a little uneasy. I had no idea if he'd seen me flirting with Sam. If he had, the best that could happen was that I'd get a stern scolding. The worst...let's just say I wasn't looking forward to the worst.

His silence wasn't doing anything to calm my nerves.

"Um," I said. "I've been making some progress on translating the Ancient text on the device."

Jacob barely glanced at me. "What's it say?"

"From what I can tell, it seems to be some kind of teaching tool."

"Teaching what?"

"Well." I cleared my throat. "I, uh, don't really know yet."

"Hmm."

I winced, watching the floor pass by under my feet. Soon, Jacob led me into a small, empty chamber.

"So." He turned to face me. "Danny."

I stared at him, studying his expression. Both he and Jack called me Danny from time to time, but Jacob's voice never held that deliberate I'm-trying-to-annoy-you tone that Jack's always had. When Jacob said it, it was with affection. The way my parents used to say it.

This time though, it also held a note of warning.

Jacob crossed his arms over his chest. "Something you want to tell me?"

Oh yeah. He had definitely seen me flirting with Sam. There was no way this was going to end well. I idly wondered exactly how many ways the retired Air Force general knew to kill someone.

I gave him a weak smile, hoping against hope I was wrong. "Um, about what?"

"About your intentions toward my daughter."

Ah crap. I opened my mouth, but all that came out was a strangled, "Uh..."

"I assume you haven't told her how you feel yet?"

I choked. "Yet?"

"I've seen the way you look at her."

"I– I—" This was ridiculous. I was a linguist, after all. But with only a few simple statements, Sam's dad had reduced me to inarticulate grunting and stammering.

"I'm sure you've noticed that I'm pretty protective of my little girl," Jacob said. "So I pay attention to those who pay attention to her."

Of course, inarticulate grunting and stammering were better than silent gaping.

Jacob smiled. "Relax, Danny." His hand rested firmly on my shoulder. "I like you."

I blinked. "Um." Was that 'I like you, so I'll kill you as painlessly as possible' or 'I like you, you're almost good enough for Sam'?

"So, when are you going to talk to her about it?"

Phew. "Uh, I don't know." I made a concerted effort to get my breathing back under control. "I'm having trouble figuring out how she feels about it. She's been a little...distant lately. Until recently, anyway. It's all very confusing."

Jacob just raised his eyebrows and nodded slowly.

I studied him. "Has she said something to you?"

He shrugged. "Not in so many words. But I know my Sam." With a heavy sigh, he looked around the empty room. "Well, it's getting late."

I tried to hide my disappointment. Since I apparently wasn't going to die, I wanted to talk about Sam some more, but it was obvious that Jacob was ending the conversation.

"You know," he said. "The sunsets on this planet are really something else."

The sudden change of topic confused me. "Are they?"

"Particularly when viewed from the shore of the river just east of the ring platform."

"Okay..." I was starting to wonder if Selmak was silently providing the part of this conversation that would make it make sense. "That's nice..."

Jacob rolled his eyes. "I'm sure Sam could use a break from her work."

"Oh!" I could be so stupid sometimes. "Now?"

He laughed at me. "Unless you want to miss the sunset, yeah." Jacob gave me a gentle shove toward the hallway.

"Wait." I stopped at the door, turning back to him. "If you're okay with this, then why—?"

"The inquisition? Father's prerogative," he said with wink. "Needed to know if I was still scary. I was starting to worry that Sel had sanded down too many of my sharp edges."

I smiled then retraced my steps through the tunnels to the chamber where Sam was still working on the device. She was lying on her back, squinting up through an open panel. I watched as her hands worked inside the device. After a moment, she pushed herself off the floor and stood up, sweeping her hair back from her forehead.

"Okay," she murmured, pushing a few buttons.

Nothing happened.

"Argh!" Sam kicked the side of the device. "Stupid piece of junk!"

"Sam?"

Her head whipped around in my direction. A blush coloured her cheeks. "It's, uh..." She grimaced and rubbed her forehead. "It's not working."

"I figured."

She craned her neck as she looked over my shoulder. "Where's Dad?"

"Um." I glanced down the corridor behind me. "Not sure." It seemed ridiculous that it would take me this much effort to muster up the courage to ask a simple question. "You want to take a break?"

She scowled at the device for a moment before looking at me with a pensive expression. Slowly, she nodded. "Yeah. Sounds good."

We found our way to the rings in silence. Moments later, we were transported to the surface.

A flock of small birds was disturbed by the activation of the rings and fluttered off into the air, disappearing over the nearby forest. Not for the first time, I was stuck by how dramatically different this moon was from other Tok'ra bases. While Vorash had been barren, this moon had abundant life.

"Wow," Sam said, admiring the pink and yellow-tinted clouds overhead.

I looked around, trying to determine which direction Jacob would have referred to as 'east' and saw a grassy hill nearby. The sound of flowing water could be heard from behind it. Sam had taken a few steps in what I decided was a northerly direction.

"Hey, Sam."

She stopped and turned back to me.

"Let's try over here." I nodded in the direction of the hill.

Sure enough, just over the small hill was the river Jacob had mentioned.

"Oh," Sam gasped.

I watched as she took in our surroundings. The twin suns were setting over the hills on the other side of the river. A small section of the shore below us was sandy, with a few large, well-weathered rocks slowing the current near the water's edge.

Directly overhead, the sky was a deep, lustrous blue. The hue faded through all of the colours of the spectrum toward the horizon. The larger, or perhaps nearer, of the suns blazed bright orange, the other was deep red.

"This is perfect," said Sam. She sat down on the grass near the base of the hill, her arms resting on her bent knees as she stared out over the river.

I settled myself comfortably next to her, trying not to stare. I glanced over my shoulder. From here, we were out of sight of both the stargate and the ring platform. It was easy to imagine that we were the only two people on the entire moon. I did my best not to imagine anything else, even though Sam's proximity and the fact that this was the first moment we'd had alone together in weeks really weren't helping me in that respect.

We sat in companionable silence for a long moment. A gentle breeze stirred the warm air. I felt it lift some of the tension and frustration caused by the Ancient device from my shoulders.

I looked over at Sam, happy to see that she seemed to be relaxing too. She released a heavy sigh, rolling her head back on her shoulders. I shifted slightly as her action reminded me that the rest of my tension and frustration _wasn't_ caused by the Ancient device.

I really had to work up the nerve to tell her how I felt. Preferably before I did something stupid.

In an effort to distract myself from the smooth expanse of her exposed neck that was practically crying out for me to nibble on it, I ran my fingers through the short grass between us. Well, now. That was interesting.

"Hunh," I said, frowning.

Sam lifted her head and looked at me. "What?"

"There must be some kind of grazing animals on this moon to keep the grass so short."

Her eyes roamed the tree line on the other side of the river. "Either that or the Tok'ra have mowed their lawn."

I grinned. "They must want to make the cover of Better Secret Bases and Gardens."

And that was when it happened.

Major Doctor Samantha Carter, the woman who had saved the world countless times, beaten a Mongol warrior in hand to hand combat, been host to a Tok'ra symbiote, and even blown up a star...giggled.

My head whipped around, and I gaped at her. "You giggled!"

Her eyes widened as she shook her head fiercely. "I most certainly did not!"

"Yes, you did! I made you giggle!"

She adopted what I knew she meant to be a stern expression. "I am a major in the Air Force. I do _not_ giggle."

"Maybe not, but you just did."

Sam tore up a handful of grass and threw it at me. The blue-green blades fluttered down through the air, twisting and turning, and landed all over me.

"That's enough out of you," she muttered, completely failing to keep a straight face.

"You imagined the magazine cover, didn't you? Yep. I can see it now. Your dad, holding a spade and a healing device, smiling from a perfectly manicured lawn with the stargate in the background..."

Her mouth twisted with the effort of not smiling. "A healing device?"

"Keeps the roses healthy."

Her resolve broke, and she clapped a hand over her mouth, too late to prevent another giggle from escaping her lips.

"Ha! See?" I stretched my arms out triumphantly before weaving my fingers behind my head and leaning back to lie on the soft hillside. "I made Sam Carter giggle. Twice!"

More grass rained down. "You don't have to sound so smug about it."

I just laughed and turned my head to look at her. She was smiling down at me. Her legs were stretched out before her as she leaned back on one arm. The setting suns made her hair glow and her eyes sparkle.

This was the perfect moment to tell her.

Slowly though, her smile faded.

I pushed myself up to a seated position again. "What's wrong?"

"Daniel." Sam folded one leg under the other and faced me directly. The expression on her face could only be described as determination. "I have to talk to you about something important."

**To be continued...  
Please read and review.**


	3. Chapter 3

**-- Chapter 3 -- **

"I have to talk to you about something important," I said.

Daniel looked worried. Of course, since my extreme nervousness over what I was about to say had completely destroyed the light-hearted mood we'd just shared, I could hardly blame him.

"Okay," he said slowly, his eyes searching mine.

I took a deep breath and licked my lips. Now that I had started, I didn't know where to begin.

"I, um, was sort of...avoiding you for the last..." I sighed. Why was this so hard?

"For the last couple of weeks," Daniel finished for me. There was a deep sadness in his eyes.

I winced. He'd noticed, then. "Yeah." I reached out and placed my hand over his. "I want to try to explain why."

"Okay."

"I'm probably going to suck at it." I gave him a little smile. "Words are your thing. Not mine."

Daniel's hand turned and his fingers wrapped around mine. "I'll keep that in mind."

"The thing is, I— I'm not quite sure how it happened, but I realised that I—" I groaned and rubbed my eyes with one hand, shaking my head. I shivered despite the warmth of the evening air.

I felt Daniel squeeze my other hand. When I looked up, he was leaning forward and staring at me, his eyes filled with concern.

"It's okay, Sam. Just...say it." The shadow of a fleeting smile crossed his lips. "Whatever it is, it can't be that bad." Despite his reassuring words, he swallowed heavily.

Just say it. I could do that. "I love you," I blurted.

Daniel straightened, his eyes wide.

"You make me laugh when I don't even want to smile." I laughed weakly and shrugged. I had gone too far to turn back now. "I'm in love with you."

I stared at him, wondering if he was going to shake his head and tell me he was sorry. I'd never felt more naked or vulnerable in my entire life. I didn't even know what I wanted him to say. I really should have thought this scene out more thoroughly beforehand.

Then, Daniel smiled. It started out small. A lopsided half-grin accompanied by a soft laugh. And then his face broke out into the most spectacular smile I'd ever seen.

"Sam." He took both my hands in his and squeezed them tightly. "I was just about to tell you the same thing."

I blinked, confused. "You were going to tell me that I was in love with you?" How in the world had everyone figured that out before me?

"Uh, no." His eyes danced as he laughed at me. "I was going to tell you that _I'm_ in love with _you_."

"Oh." I quickly decided that if I'd had a clue what I'd wanted when I started this conversation, I'd have hoped for exactly that response.

I smiled and untangled my fingers from his. Reaching out, I grazed my hand over the angle of his jaw, and then lightly touched my fingertips to his full lips. He smiled under my touch. I leaned in and kissed him tentatively. Experimentally. Then I pulled back to see his reaction.

Daniel's eyes were roaming my face. His hand cupped the back of my neck, and he pulled me into a deeper kiss. His mouth pressed hungrily against mine. As if it had a mind of its own, my tongue prodded his bottom lip. When Daniel's mouth opened, my tongue slid inside, caressing and exploring and tasting.

I'd been wrong. _This_ was the response I'd have hoped for. This and a whole lot more.

I both heard and felt his groan and leaned into him, pushing him back onto the soft, grassy hillside. He uttered a satisfied sigh as I settled on top of him.

Daniel's arms wrapped around me, one hand working its way down my spine from my shoulder blades to my hip. I felt his fingers pull at the back of my shirt, slowly tugging it out of my pants.

I ran my hands through his hair and down his sides. Our tongues playfully duelled with each other. When his fingers touched bare skin at my back, I rocked my body against his, causing him to gasp.

"Oh God, Sam."

I pushed myself up until I was straddling him. His hands slid over my hips and squeezed my thighs as he smiled seductively at me.

The suns had set completely, and the light was fading. I grasped the bottom of his t-shirt and pulled it up, exposing his stomach. He wiggled a bit and lifted his arms, allowing me to tug the shirt over his head. I tossed it aside.

My hands smoothed over his shoulders and across his bare chest. The river murmured softly behind me. I gave Daniel a mischievous smile, grinding a slow circle over the hardness beneath me. He groaned again, and his eyelids fluttered closed, making my smile grow. After one more circle, I stood up.

Daniel's groan turned into a moan of protest. He pushed himself up on his elbows to watch me. I took several steps backwards until I felt the shifting of sand beneath my boots.

Grasping the hem of my shirt with both hands, I slowly peeled it off. I let it dangle from my fingers before dropping it to the sandy beach. Turning to the water, I doubled over to untie my boots, watching Daniel between my legs. I pulled them off with my socks and turned back to him.

He was still lying back in the grass, propped up on his elbows. Behind him, the gas giant this moon was orbiting was rising over the hill. Its deep blue-violet swirls cast a twilight glow over us, highlighting the muscles in Daniel's chest as his breathing quickened.

My belt opened with a click, and a few moments later, I was standing naked on the beach. Daniel's tongue darted out, moistening his lips, and I smiled at him.

"Care to join me?" I asked as I stepped into the water. I waded out until the water reached my shoulder blades. Bending backwards, I dipped my hair into the river and deliberately thrust my chest into the air.

I smoothed the water out of my hair and looked back at the shore. Daniel's eyes were locked on me. He was on his feet, already out of his boots, and stepping out of his BDUs. I stretched out my arms and lifted my feet, floating peacefully near a few of the large, smooth rocks that sheltered this section of the river.

Finally free of his uniform, Daniel gave me a little smile before he broke eye contact to pick my scattered clothing up from the shore. He carried it all farther from the water's edge. I smiled at his thoughtfulness and admired the view.

It should be a crime for standard BDUs to hide so much beauty. The arcs of muscle in his arms. Square shoulders that angled leanly down to his hips. The perfect curve of his buttocks. The sleek lines of strength in his thighs and calves.

Our clothing now safe, Daniel turned and stepped to the water's edge, staring at me. I felt my heart pounding in my chest. My gaze traveled over his broad, muscular chest, across the surprisingly rippled expanse of his stomach, down to... Oh my. He needed to get over here _right now_. I gave him an inviting smile and raised my legs until my toes emerged from the water.

Daniel strode purposefully toward me. When he reached waist-deep water, he dove under. I laughed and waited for him to come up. A moment later, warm arms wrapped solidly around my waist from behind, pulling me against an equally warm chest.

I gasped in surprise. This was a side to Daniel I had only imagined. I liked it. A lot.

Daniel lowered his mouth to my neck, gently nipping at my skin. One of his hands cupped my right breast while the other stroked slowly down my stomach before expertly teasing its way between my legs. He pulled my body firmly back, grinding against me. My head lolled onto his shoulder, and I moaned my appreciation into the warm night air.

I could feel him behind me, solid and wanting. I wasn't sure how much more of his touch I could passively take. I had to touch him. Had to feel more of him.

As if he could read my mind, he turned me around in his arms. I tangled my fingers in his wet hair as his lips crashed down to mine for another searing kiss.

After a deliciously long moment, he pulled back, panting, his eyes sparkling with desire. "I love you," Daniel whispered.

I smiled and stroked my hand down the side of his face. "I love you, too."

His hands smoothed down my sides to my hips. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

"You have no idea how much."

His lips smiled against mine as he lifted me up. He took a few steps forward until I felt the cool smoothness of stone against my back. The arches of my feet slid up his calves, and my legs wrapped around his waist as he pressed into me.

I felt my body adjust, welcoming him. He felt so, so good. "Oh, Daniel," I moaned.

I delved into the depths of his mouth with my tongue, trying to fill him as he was filling me.

His skilled fingers danced over my thighs. I felt him gasp as my wandering hands discovered the delightful dip in the small of his back. He pulled his mouth away from mine and gave me a smouldering look before dropping his head to nibble on my neck.

It wasn't enough. I wanted more.

My hips strained against him, and my hands kneaded the taut muscles in his buttocks, urging him to move. I felt him smile against my neck as his teeth did wonderful things to my skin.

He eased back, and then slowly brought his hips to mine again, somehow reaching even deeper this time. A groan vibrated through our bodies, and I wasn't sure if it was his or mine. Not that it mattered.

Daniel continued with that same maddeningly deliberate pace. I clenched my legs around his waist, desperate for more, trying to get him to move faster.

He uttered a husky, teasing laugh. He clearly wasn't going to be rushed, but he was going to drive me crazy like this. I squeezed my muscles around him, and he gasped my name.

I pulled his face back to mine and kissed him hard, leaving him breathless. His thumbs swept over my breasts, and I felt myself arch into his hands. I sucked his earlobe into my mouth, biting down gently, and was rewarded with a solid thrust of his hips. Clutching hands slid smoothly over wet skin. The water swirled with our combined movements as his pace gradually increased.

"God, Sam," Daniel groaned. "Can't..."

His hand left my breast, reaching down between us. It wasn't necessary. I cried out his name as I crashed over the edge, convulsing in his arms. He soon followed me, shuddering his release even as he worked at prolonging mine. Stars exploded before my eyes as my senses overloaded. Our cries of ecstasy echoed across the river.

Our surroundings slowly came back into focus. Daniel's forehead was resting on my shoulder, aftershocks rolling through our still joined bodies. I brushed my lips over his temple, and he lifted his head. His hands caressed my hips and back as I planted a line of light kisses across his jaw line.

Daniel pressed his mouth against mine, softly and tenderly, in what was quite possibly the best kiss of my life. When he pulled back, he lifted a hand and smoothed his fingers through my wet hair.

I caressed the strong muscles in his arms. "I love you, Daniel," I whispered. God, it felt so good to say that.

"I love you, Sam," he murmured against my neck.

We held each other for a long time. When we finally emerged from the water, we stretched out on the soft grass to dry off. Daniel rolled his head to one side to give me a dreamy smile. He wrapped his arms around me, and I let him pull me on top of him. I sighed happily, completely spent.

"Mmm," he murmured, pressing his lips tenderly against my temple.

I smiled and lifted my head so I could look at him. His deep blue eyes twinkled in the light reflected from the gas giant in the sky. Beneath me, heat radiated from his naked body. The faint coffee flavour of his kisses lingered on my tongue. His fingers drew tantalizing lines up and down my spine.

That was when I realised that this was it. This was the most real thing I'd ever known.

"Penny for your thoughts," Daniel whispered.

"It's silly."

He nuzzled my fingers as they traced across his forehead, around his eyes, and over his nose. "Tell me anyway."

"I was just thinking that this feels like home."

Daniel turned his head, looking at our surroundings.

"No," I said, laughing as I dragged his face back to mine. "I mean this. Being here in your arms. I feel at peace."

His arms tightened around me.

"You know, I can't even pinpoint the moment I fell in love with you."

Daniel just smiled.

"Apparently, I'm pretty slow when it comes to that kind of thing."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Doctor Bedard knew before I did." I rolled my eyes. "For that matter, so did Janet." My forehead thumped to his shoulder. "And Dad," I moaned.

Daniel nudged my temple with his nose. "Took me a while to figure it out too, you know."

I lifted my head, planning to kiss those gorgeous lips again. But my attention was drawn to his left shoulder. I frowned, lightly touching the scar from the bullet wound I'd inflicted on him months ago.

Daniel looked down and released a soft sigh. He took my hand in his and kissed my fingers.

"I never thanked you," I whispered.

A crease appeared between his eyebrows. "For what?

"You never wavered. Not once." I tugged my hand away from his mouth and touched the scar again. "Even after I shot you, you never hesitated to be there for me. To help me. Support me."

"Sam, it wasn't your fault."

"I shot you, Daniel. I could have killed you."

He captured my fingers again and squeezed my hand firmly. "You didn't."

"Still," I said, fighting the burning of tears. "I should have thanked you."

One corner of his mouth quirked up. "Oh, I think you did."

I frowned at him.

"Over there." Daniel thrust his chin toward the river and winked at me. "Against that rock."

I couldn't help but laugh. "You're such a _guy_."

"I'm glad you noticed."

"I'm trying to be serious here," I said with a mock glare. "Thank you for being strong enough to support me. I couldn't have done it without you."

"Sure you could have."

I smiled fondly, shaking my head at his stubbornness. "You do realise that you're the strongest person I know, right?" My fingers trailed through his hair again. "Not just for supporting me. Always."

I narrowed my eyes at him as I felt tension building in his body. He was misunderstanding what I meant, I was sure. I needed to clarify. "The easy thing to do in the situations we face is to shoot first and ask questions later. You never do that. You reach out, try to communicate. That takes more strength than I can imagine. Your first reaction is always peaceful."

He squeezed his eyes closed as if he was in pain.

"Daniel?"

He sighed. "Not always," he finally whispered.

I caressed his face, silently urging him to open his eyes. When he did, my heart ached at the anguish I saw there.

"What do you mean?"

"I threatened to kill someone in order to get the information we needed to find you." His voice was hoarse.

I studied him, torn between feeling sympathetic to his distress and being oddly touched that he'd go that far for me. "I guess what happened changed all of us."

His eyes squeezed shut again, and he turned his face away. I felt his arms drop away from my back.

Cupping his chin, I pulled his attention back to me. "Hey," I said softly.

Daniel shook his head, apparently refusing to open his eyes.

"I _love_ you, Daniel."

Finally, he looked at me. I smiled at him and lowered my lips to his for a sweet kiss.

"I'm so proud of you," he said when we parted. "I never doubted you'd get through what happened. I just had no idea you'd get so far so quickly. It wasn't my strength that did that; it was yours."

With a sigh, I rolled off of him and onto the soft grass. I stared up at the gas giant, now high in the sky. A deep purple storm swirled in its upper hemisphere.

Daniel turned onto his side, propping himself up on an elbow to look down at me. His hand stroked my hair, waiting silently for me to explain my actions. He never pushed. And it made me love him even more.

"I never told you," I started.

The only time I had ever said what I was about to tell him out loud was in one of my sessions with the therapist assigned to me during my recovery. Daniel had just shared something about himself that he clearly wasn't proud of. It didn't matter to me that he had threatened someone. I probably would have done the same thing if our situations had been reversed.

But I had done something I wasn't proud of too. Something he never would have done.

"I gave up," I whispered. "Stopped fighting. Trying to escape. Protecting myself. Everything."

He reached for my hand and held it firmly in his, while the other continued its soothing strokes through my hair.

"The desperation— I just wanted—" I laughed harshly as I felt hot tears welling in my eyes. "He probably would have just thrown me in a sarcophagus anyway. To continue his fun and games. Hell, maybe he did. It's not like I would have noticed."

The tears spilled out of my eyes and into the grass behind my head. One landed in my ear.

"Shh," Daniel murmured, wrapping himself around me. "It's over now."

I melted into his embrace, once more welcoming the strength that radiated from him in waves. He held me for a long and healing moment. "You're going to be okay," he whispered.

I looked up at him, revelling in the feeling of our tangled limbs and combined body heat. This was me and Daniel. This was real. This was home.

I smiled. "I already am."

**To be continued...  
Please read and review. **


	4. Chapter 4

**-- Chapter 4 -- **

When the warm night air had sufficiently dried us off, Sam and I gathered our clothes and got dressed. She gave me a playful grin before taking off at a run over the hill. I chased her across the short grass and caught up with her just before she reached the rings.

She laughed as I grabbed her around the waist and spun her to a stop. As we stepped onto the ring platform, she looped her thumbs over the back of my belt and tilted her face to mine in clear invitation.

I happily obliged, lowering my lips to hers. My hands roamed her back as I lost myself in her kiss. When we parted, I barely noticed that we had been transported back into the underground tunnels.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" came a nearby voice.

We looked over to find Jacob leaning nonchalantly against a wall, his arms crossed over his chest.

Sam groaned. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Next time you take my daughter out," Jacob said, shaking a finger in my direction. "You better have her back at a decent hour."

"Are you finished?" asked Sam.

Jacob grinned. "Not even remotely."

"Honestly, Selmak. Can't you do something about him?"

Jacob chuckled but lowered his head, and Selmak looked up at Sam. "I must admit I find your father's preoccupation with your love life to be quite intriguing. Perhaps his methods lack a certain subtlety, but I do not disagree with his motives. Both you and Doctor Jackson deserve to be happy."

I squeezed Sam's shoulder as she leaned into my side.

Selmak paused, and then smiled. "Your father insists that he is indeed subtle. Perhaps the word has a different meaning on your world."

Sam snorted. "Yeah. Subtle like a heart attack."

Selmak's head bowed, and Jacob snickered into his chest for a moment before looking up at us. "Can you blame me for being excited that I was right about you two?"

"Yes," Sam said, rolling her eyes. "You're the oldest and wisest among us, and it was a mistake to question you. Now, if you'll excuse us..." She grabbed my hand and practically dragged me down the corridor.

"Good night, kids!"

"Night, Jacob," I called over my shoulder.

When we arrived in our sleeping chamber, we pushed our cots together in its most private corner. I did my best to ignore the few Tok'ra who walked past the open doorway.

"So," I said softly as Sam snuggled up next to me under the covers. "Who's going to tell Jack?"

She wrinkled her nose adorably. "I think you should. You've known him longer."

"I hardly think that matters after everything the four of us have been through. Besides, you're his second in command."

Sam shifted, pushing herself up to a seated position. One of her fists hovered near her chest, and she looked at me expectantly.

I stared at her. "You're not serious."

Her only answer was a grin, so I sat up and readied my own fist.

"One, two, three."

Damn. With a gleeful laugh, Sam cut up my paper-hand with her scissor-fingers.

"Best two out of three?"

"No way. I won fair and square."

I gave her the look I usually reserved for Janet when she was being unreasonably stubborn about releasing me from the infirmary.

Sam laughed. "That's not fair," she said with a gentle shove to my shoulder.

"Oh, fine." I sighed melodramatically, flopping down to my pillow. "I'll tell him."

"Thank you." Her hand stroked down my chest and over my stomach, reaching toward areas that couldn't be properly explored in a place with no doors. "How ever shall I repay you?"

I captured her hand in mine. "Now who's not being fair?" When her other hand started to wander, I grabbed it too and pulled her down on top of me. "Sleep now. Payment later. When we're somewhere we won't be disturbed. For a very long time."

The kiss she gave me was full of promise. "I think I like the sound of that."

Over the next few days, I finished my translation of the text on the Ancient device. When I told Sam the purpose of the device, she wasn't happy. Not because the device was useless – quite the opposite, really – but because she still hadn't managed to get it to work.

"There," she said as she finished taking it completely apart and putting it back together again for the third time. "Try it now."

I pressed some of the buttons around the domed top, but nothing happened.

Sam's fists clenched in her lap, her knuckles turning white, as she scowled at the device. I sat down on the floor behind her, pulling her to lean back between my legs. My fingers worked the knotted muscles in her shoulders, though I couldn't resist nibbling at her neck as they did so.

"Mmm," she murmured. "That's nice."

We were getting used to the constant presence of various voices from the corridor. Now though, one particular voice caused Sam's body to tense under my hands.

"Have the Tok'ra decided what this moon shall be called?" Teal'c asked from somewhere that wasn't too far away.

I pressed a final kiss to her shoulder before scooting out from behind her. She gave me a grateful smile as I pulled my notebook into my lap and tried to look like I was working.

"Actually, we haven't," answered Jacob as they stepped through the open doorway. "We're not in the naming business, really. Every other base we've established has already had a name, but since this moon wasn't part of the stargate network and there's no intelligent life..." He shrugged. "We haven't got around to it yet."

"Hey guys," said Jack. "You ready to go?"

Sam scowled her frustration at the device. "Not quite, sir."

"I have been meditating on possible names," Teal'c said to Jacob.

"Oh? Do tell."

"There is a legend of which I am fond. It describes a moon, forested much like this one, and orbiting a gas giant."

"Yeah," said Jack, pointing at the ceiling. "Did you guys see that thing in the sky? Or have you spent the whole time holed up in here underground? It's very cool."

I tried not to react as Jack crouched down behind me, leaning over my shoulder to peer at my notebook. He knew exactly how much it annoyed me, and I refused to give him the satisfaction. One of these days, when he wasn't armed, I'd plant a sloppy kiss on his cheek. That ought to get him to quit.

Teal'c continued, clearly as happy to ignore Jack as I was. "This legendary moon was home to a band of people who rose up against the oppression of dark and evil lords, ultimately defeating them with the help of warriors from afar."

"Sounds perfect," said Jacob. "What was it called?"

"It was known as the forest moon of Endor."

Jacob chuckled. Sam smothered a giggle behind the back of her hand. Jack gave her a funny look. He turned his gaze on me, and for a moment, I thought he was going to smile. Then he stood up and looked at the device.

"So," he said, giving it an obvious once-over. "This is the thing that's had you two so excited, is it? What's it do?"

I pushed my glasses up to see him more clearly. "Based on the writings, it appears to a tool used to teach people about the stargate. How it works, how they were made, that kind of thing."

"How they were made?"

Sam grimaced. "Yes, sir. Which is why it's so frustrating that we can't get it to work."

"Knowing you two, you haven't stopped over the last couple of days for so much as a snack. You losing your knack?"

"Actually," I said as Sam and I stood up. "We did take a few breaks here and there." I was pretty sure I wasn't imagining the blush on Sam's cheeks. Hopefully mine weren't doing the same thing.

"Did you?" Jack smirked at me. "Will wonders never cease?"

"See, Jack. The thing is..." My voice trailed off as I searched for the best way to explain the situation.

"You two are an item."

I blinked and glanced at Sam. She seemed as surprised as I was for a moment, but then she uttered a resigned sigh and shook her head.

I turned back to Jack. "How did you—"

"I told you," he interrupted with a wicked grin. "I know everything. About time you two figured it out, that's all I can say."

Teal'c smiled at us, bowing his approval.

I was torn between being grateful I didn't have to tell them anything awkward, and being disappointed that Sam wouldn't owe me any 'payment'.

"So," said Jack, waving his hand at the device. "Did you two actually work on this thing at all? Or did you spend all your time—"

Jacob cleared his throat.

"...talking," finished Jack. He still hadn't lost his smirk.

"I've tried everything I can think of," said Sam. "There's no reason it shouldn't work. Everything seems right."

"Well, if you can't get it, you can't get it. There was bound to be a day when you wouldn't be able to fix something."

"I'm not ready to give up just yet, sir."

"We've got a ship in orbit, and it's going to take three weeks to get it home." His eyes moved back and forth between me and Sam. "I'll give you another two days before we leave."

"Colonel, I'm not sure you understand how important this information could be. To know how the stargates were built..." Sam gave me a desperate look. "We need more time."

I rubbed my hand against her back in a soothing circle. She needed to relax. We had two whole days to convince Jack that we needed more time. It wouldn't be a problem.

Jack sighed and pursed his lips as he looked over the device again. "Have you tried percussive maintenance?"

Sam's eye twitched. "I really don't think hitting it is the solution, sir."

I was tempted to tell Jack about Sam's earlier frustrated outbursts, but I had a feeling she wouldn't appreciate it.

"Are you sure that is wise, O'Neill?" asked Teal'c.

"Why not? It worked for the Fonz." Jack turned to the device, flipping up his collar. With the side of his closed fist, he gave it a little bop.

And the damned thing lit up.

Sam and I watched, dumbfounded, as holographic symbols began scrolling through the air over the device. It looked like a list of stargate addresses.

Jack turned back to us, his face shining with a delighted grin. He thrust two thumbs up at his sides. "Ehh!"

We were _so_ never going to hear the end of this.

**To be concluded...  
Please read and review.**


	5. Epilogue

**-- Epilogue -- **

After leaving Dad and the Tok'ra on the newly-christened moon of Endor, we had flown our Ha'tak home to Earth. Daniel and I had spent a lot of time studying the data we'd copied from the Ancient device. We also spent a lot of time studying each other. One thing about living on a Tok'ra base, even for a short time, was that it really gave a person an appreciation for doors. Luckily, the Ha'tak had plenty. And for the most part, Teal'c and the Colonel were busy flying the ship.

One of the planets on the list of addresses from the Ancient device held a very interesting society. Technologically, they were about sixty years behind us, but their planet was rich with naquadah deposits as well as a highly unstable radioactive variation that they called naquadria. Daniel and I had stayed on the planet for three months, working with their research staff to learn more.

There'd been a few political problems. It's funny. No matter the planet, societies seem to follow the same general pattern of development. People are always far too eager to blow each other to kingdom come. Daniel pulled off no small miracle when he managed to negotiate an agreement between the planet's three rival nations.

He still insists that the only reason they started talking was because he pointed out the fact that their mineral deposits made them a prime target for invading Goa'uld. But I know better. No one can get people to see things clearly like my Daniel.

We had agreed to provide them with information about the Stargate in exchange for some mining rights. We'd even started a cultural exchange. All in all, I think it worked out rather well. I was eager to see how I could use the naquadria to boost the efficiency of our Ha'tak's systems. I was already imagining possible designs for defensive shields, hyperdrive engines, and interstellar vessels built entirely on Earth.

Tonight though, all schematics and test results were happily out of my mind. Tonight, Daniel and I were enjoying the company of our friends at the welcome home party Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c had thrown for us. I've never seen so many desserts under one roof. I planned on sampling every one of them.

I also planned on finding interesting uses for some of the leftover whipped cream.

--------------------------------

I watched, smiling, as Janet practically dragged Sam into one of the quieter corners of Jack's living room. Judging by the number of blushing glances Sam was casting in my direction, I guessed she was getting the inquisition about our relationship.

It was certainly good to be home. The word tense didn't even come close to describing the situation Sam and I had faced for the last three months. I'd found a reference in some historical records about a massive explosion three thousand years ago that took out Thanos, the resident Goa'uld at the time. Somehow, Sam figured out that the explosion had triggered a reaction in one of the planet's surface naquadah deposits.

Her discovery put an immediate halt to all naquadria bomb research. I won't pretend to understand all of the science behind it, but I'm pretty sure she saved their entire planet. Not that she'd ever admit it, of course. I only hope the people of Kelowna appreciate what she did for them.

The cultural exchange between our planets holds a lot of promise. I've already decided on at least one Kelownan applicant to join my staff through it. Jonas has made quite an impression. He was invaluable during the delicate negotiations between the three nations of his planet, and he's very quick to learn anything thrown at him. I was looking forward to working with him at the SGC.

I grabbed Walter as he made his third trip from the dessert table. A few whispered words sent him across the room on a top secret mission. I sipped my wine, watching the scene unfold.

All things considered, it'd been a good three months off-world. Tonight had certainly been a good night with our friends.

Walter successfully managed to pry Janet away from her interrogation victim. I caught Sam's eye and winked at her. She gave me a smile and tilted her chin toward Jack's front door, raising a suggestive eyebrow.

When I nodded, she disappeared into the kitchen, only to reappear a moment later, stuffing a can of something into her purse. I had no idea what it was, but if it was worth the risk of stealing it from her CO, it was going to be worthwhile.

The twinkle in her eye as we bid our goodbyes confirmed it. The night was about to get even better.

**THE END  
Please read and review. **

**_Author's note: _**There were a lot of firsts for me within this trilogy - my first time writing a real sequel, first AU of episodes, first _(ahem)_ sex scene (even if it was only T-rated)... But I think it all worked out more or less okay in the end.

Once more, I'd like to thank my beta extraordinaire, Thraesja, for all her hard work on this story. Despite the insanity of her RL, she still managed to find the time to point and laugh at various scenes until I whipped them into shape. In particular, the sex scene was all of three sentences long until she told me that I'd likely have a riot of readers screaming their denial. Yeek! Anyway, my point is, if you enjoyed this story, send a virtual cookie to Thrae and her muse. 'Cause all the good parts are her fault. :)


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